1. Field
This disclosure relates to the field of thermoelectric devices and, in particular, to improved thermoelectric device enclosures and assemblies.
2. Description of Related Art
Certain thermoelectric (TE) devices, sometimes called Seebeck-Peltier devices, Peltier devices, thermoelectric engines, thermoelectric heat exchangers or thermoelectric heat pumps, employ the Peltier effect to transfer heat against the temperature gradient when an electric voltage is applied across certain types of materials, sometimes called thermoelectric materials or compounds. Examples of TE materials include, for example, doped PbTe, Bi2Te3, and other materials with a relatively high Seebeck coefficient. The Seebeck coefficient is a value that relates a temperature difference across a region of material with a corresponding electric potential difference across the region of material.
The efficiency of at least some TE devices can be improved by removing thermal energy from areas of a device where thermal energy accumulates due to, for example, the Peltier effect. Removal of such thermal energy can be accomplished, for example, by moving a waste fluid flow, such as air, across high temperature portions of TE materials or heat transfer structures attached to said high temperature portions. Furthermore, TE devices sometimes move a main fluid flow across low temperature portions of TE materials or heat transfer structures attached to said low temperature portions to remove heat from the main fluid flow. The main fluid flow may be used, for example, to cool enclosed spaces, materials, or equipment.
TE devices are typically housed in an enclosure that routes the fluid flows across a heat exchanger operatively coupled to the TE materials. Existing TE device enclosures and assemblies suffer from various drawbacks.